The Restoration of a Masterpiece: Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Red Vineyards at Arles’ with LG SIGNATURE

Technology Revives a Masterpiece

One would be hard-pressed to find a more fitting example of the maxim, ars longa, vita brevis, than the life and work of Vincent Van Gogh. Although his time on Earth was short-lived and filled with hardships, his instantly-recognizable paintings have gone on to grace the world's most prestigious museums, inspiring countless people.

Van Gogh had a relatively late start as a full-time painter, beginning his career at the age of 27. Having never received any formal training in the arts, he initially imitated the styles of the Dutch masters of the 17th century, producing works that are hardly recognizable as his own to most modern viewers. Soon thereafter, however, he transitioned to the use of brighter colors under the influence of the French impressionist style during his Paris period (1886-1888). This was followed by his breakthrough Arles period (1888-1889) during which he borrowed the bold outlines of the Japanese ukiyo-e style while also applying the neo-impressionist contrast of complementary tones, painting well-loved masterpieces as Sunflowers, Café Terrace at Night, and Bedroom in Arles. He went on to master his distinctive style of 'flame-like' brush strokes during the Saint-Rémy period (1888-1890) before relocating to Auvers-sur-Oise, a small village to the north of Paris, where he spent the last seventy days of his life.

During his brief life, and an even briefer time as a painter, Van Gogh created some 1,000 paintings. Out of all these works, it was long thought that he was only able to officially sell a single piece during his lifetime – The Red Vineyards at Arles (1888) but that was not the case. Van Gogh created this piece while staying at Arles in Southern France. It captures the beautiful scenery of a vineyard in full autumn red as workers pick grapes under a radiant sun. He sent this work to his brother Theo, an art dealer. It was shown at the 1890 annual exhibition of Les XX, held by a group of Belgian painters, sculptors, and designers, and was purchased by Anna Boch, a painter and acquaintance of Van Gogh, for 400 francs. The painting would later find its way to Galerie Bernheim Jeune in Paris and then into the care of prolific Russian collector Ivan Morozov, before finally arriving at Moscow's Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, where it has remained for over sixty years.

As a result of Van Gogh's distinctive technique of applying thick layers of paint on a thin canvas, by the time The Red Vineyards at Arles arrived at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the work had suffered from a chemical reaction that caused great enough damage that it would be unable to withstand the stress of any further transport. Thus, to prevent any additional damage, the decision was made to keep it at its current location. Despite the numerous Van Gogh-themed exhibitions being held in museums and galleries all over the world to make his art more accessible, The Red Vineyards at Arles could only be viewed in person at the Pushkin State Museum.

The delicate condition of The Red Vineyards at Arles is what motivated LG SIGNATURE to collaborate with the Pushkin State Museum in pursuing its research and restoration in late 2021. Although the painting has been meticulously maintained by the Pushkin State Museum, it has never been fully researched at any point in the 130 years since its completion. Over the course of this project, experts from various fields will engage in efforts to thoroughly examine and restore the work, thus allowing more people to appreciate this masterpiece in a stable condition for years to come.

This is not the first collaboration between LG SIGNATURE and the Pushkin State Museum. Since 2020, LG SIGNATURE has provided virtual tours of the museum's numerous masterpieces, which can be enjoyed from anywhere in 4K resolution via TV screen. The tours can be accessed via IVI, Russia’s largest streaming platform, as well as the LG website and LG YouTube channel. This virtual feature was welcomed by art lovers all over the world, who had been faced with travel restrictions in the wake of the global pandemic. Furthermore, in addition to the restoration project of The Red Vineyards at Arles, another initiative was started in 2021. This project is a series of exclusive educational lectures titled “Pushkinskiy X LG SIGNATURE Wednesdays,” in which figures prominent in culture and the arts are invited to the Pushkin State Museum to talk about various topics. These lectures, which began in June, are set to progress in three waves. The theme of the first wave was “A Look at Art: Look and See,” where broad discussions were held on vision - the primary sense through which art is perceived - by experts from relevant fields including art historians, psychologists, art collectors, stage directors, and philosophers.

On August 2nd, The Red Vineyards at Arles was taken out of the museum for the first time since it was initially shown. Over the years, the painting's oils had become discolored and damaged due to the peculiarities of Van Gogh's painting technique and the chemical composition of the pigments he used. It was taken to the Pushkin State Museum's restoration lab to be cared for by the foremost experts in the field. A month later, on September 2nd, LG SIGNATURE held a media conference announcing the launch of a joint research and restoration project for The Red Vineyards of Arles, in collaboration with the Pushkin State Museum.

Although the project is still in its early stages, research and restoration experts at the Pushkin State Museum have already uncovered plenty of previously unknown aspects of The Red Vineyard at Arles. For instance, they've found that the yellow light of the sun, expressed in Van Gogh's distinctive incandescent quality, was even brighter and more vibrant at the time it was painted. Restoration experts have also found that the man standing by the bank was originally a woman dressed in a skirt and blouse. Furthermore, the woman stooping down to lift a basket near the bottom of the frame was added only after the whole painting had been completed. Drawing on their knowledge of traditional techniques as well as cutting-edge technology, restoration experts hope to ascertain which materials and paints Van Gogh used, how the piece's condition has changed over the past 130 years, and what techniques will be optimal for its research and restoration. In October experts began applying treatments to the painting that will allow for its eventual transportation beyond the museum walls so that it might be appreciated both by more viewers and for longer periods. These efforts are currently on track for completion by the year's end.

The entirety of these efforts will be recorded in a four-part documentary for the Russian streaming platform, IVI. LG SIGNATURE will also be uploading the documentary to its homepage and YouTube channel, making it available for viewing by anyone worldwide. The Red Vineyard at Arles will be displayed to the public for the first time in its restored state early next year at a major exhibition commemorating the legendary collector and previous owner of this piece, Ivan Morozov.

Not even the greatest of masterpieces can escape the passage of time. LG SIGNATURE is fully committed to supporting the research and restoration of The Red Vineyards at Arles, bringing a work familiar to us through art textbooks more accessible. We hope that the essence of Van Gogh's artistry will be preserved for many years to come, so that future generations will have the opportunity to see and appreciate this masterpiece for themselves, allowing its artistry to touch and inspire their lives. We also believe that the eternal value presented by great art such as this is fundamentally akin to the differentiated lifestyles made possible through LG SIGNATURE's cutting-edge technology.